The Jane Austen Book Club
by Kitsune Moonstar
Summary: He hadn't meant for the gift to mean so much, but Roy couldn't help being pleased with the results.
1. Fool's In Love

Author's Note: I do not own FMA or its characters. This is slightly AU and was previously posted in An Apple a Day.

* * *

**Fools in Love**

It wasn't what he had intended. He was quite pleased with the results, of course, but he really had had no intention of turning the gift into something that important. He'd wanted her to like the gift. Christmas was one of the few times of the year where it was all right for him to give her things, and he always tried to choose things that would tell her how much he appreciated her. Of course, the difficulty was finding things were she would understand the meaning, but it wouldn't tip off the rest of the military to the fact that he was in love with her. Anyway, to start at the beginning, the whole was caused by his promotion.

There were drawbacks to promotions, though he wouldn't admit that in public. One of them was the fact that he had more subordinates now, and not all of them had hand picked. Major Lorne was one such officer. He was a good enough officer; it was just, he wasn't someone that Roy would trust with his plans let alone his secrets. Of course, it didn't help his opinion of the man that had been romantically interested in Hawkeye from the start. And he wasn't like the other who had simply been obnoxious in their affections either.

Roy didn't like it when other men started paying attention to Hawkeye. Oh, he knew she deserved that attention. After all, she was a beautiful, smart, intensely loyal, and caring woman. He just didn't like that other people could treat her the way he wanted to, and to tell the truth, there was some small part of him that was afraid that one day she'd get tired of waiting.

So anyway, the man had been around for nearly six months now, and perhaps that was why he'd gone a little overboard with her Christmas gift. It was a book. Of course, it wasn't just any book. It was her favorite book, _Pride and Prejudice_. It was also a first edition copy. He'd gotten it at this little place in Central called _Rare Books_. He'd written an inscription on the inside. It wasn't anything that would be considered inappropriate by the regs, but he thought it did a good job of conveying how essential she was to him. He'd also gotten her a bookmark, one of the nice ribbon ones with a little charm hanging at the bottom. He'd chosen a navy ribbon with a little silver charm of a hawk.

The office had an annual Christmas party where gifts were exchanged, and this year it was busier than usual. Fullmetal, his brother, and Ms. Rockbell had shown up as well as Gracia and Elysia. The party was in full swing by the time the present exchange rolled around. The punch had been spiked, mistletoe had been hung, and embarrassing stories were being told. Gracia had announced to the room that the gift exchange was starting, and everyone crowed around the dinky little Christmas tree. They had been down to the last three gifts, two for Riza and one for Winry Rockbell. One of Riza's two was his; there was an unspoken tradition that he was always the last to give her her gift. The other gift for her was from Major Lorne.

She sat in her chair with the little box from Lorne sitting in her lap. She was dressed in what Roy had come to consider her Christmas dress. She'd worn the same burgundy dress every Christmas party after Maes' had decreed no one was to wear their uniform to the party. As usual her only jewelry was a pair of earrings, the red ones this time. Their first Christmas in the military he'd given her three sets of earrings (red, blue, and amber), and she still wore them at work most of the time. She unwrapped the gift with her normal meticulous patience, and Roy felt his stomach begin to twist when inside the paper was a little jeweler's box. She opened the box, and both she and the rest of the room went into shock. Inside was an ornate gold band surmounted with a very large diamond. Lorne moved to kneel in front of her.

"I know we haven't known each other very long, Riza, but I know we're soul mates. Marry me."

Roy had to double check that he wasn't hyperventilating. Hawkeye looked completely stunned. "I need some time, please."

She set the box and the ring to her side. Roy gripped his gift for her nervously. She hadn't said yes. Of course, it could be that she didn't want to accept in front of him. Or it could be that she wasn't interested. He didn't know. And it wasn't something he could ask her either. He waited in agony while Winry opened her gift from Fullmetal to find a wrench. Then it was his turn.

"Here you are, Captain Hawkeye."

She took the gift and untied the multitude of little silver ribbons before carefully unwrapping the paper. The book fell open to the page he'd stuck the bookmark in. He wasn't sure where it was in the story it was, but she seem amused as her lips quirked into a little smile as she scanned the page. Then she turned to the front where the dedication was written.

As she read it, one of her hands came up to cover her mouth, and to his complete surprise, her eyes were filled with tears. Hawkeye gently shut the book, stood up, and walked over to him.

"That was incredibly sweet, sir."

And she leaned over to kiss his cheek, whispering in his ear. "Always and only yours, Roy. Always and only."

Then she turned and walked over to sit with Winry, stopping only to scoop up the silver ribbons and leaving him completely stunned. She passed him later in the evening on her way to grab a few more cookies. She deliberately raised her left hand to touch her hair, and he saw one of the silver ribbons from his gift wrapped around her ring finger. His mind could only come up with one thought: _Did I inadvertently propose to Hawkeye in that dedication?_ That thought was quickly followed by: _And she accepted?_

He didn't think he was drunk but decided to avoid the punch and the eggnog for the rest of the evening. Actually, the party was rather subdued after the various shocks of the gift exchange. He ran into Edward on his way back from the bathroom, and the two of them accidentally stumble upon the conversation Hawkeye was having with Lorne in the hallway.

"I'm sorry, Major."

"But we're perfect for each other. I thought you understood that."

"I apologize if my actions some how led you to believe I was interested in you romantically. That was not my intention."

"You're afraid Mustang ruining your career if you accept, aren't you?"

Roy recognized the tone in her voice; she usually reserved it for serial killers, homunculi, and insane alchemists. "The brigadier general has known me since I was six years old. My working relationship with is not an issue in this decision. I'm already engaged."

"What? You've never mentioned it. You don't wear a ring."

"It's not something I can talk about. I've returned your ring and made my decision clear. Good night, Major."

He and Edward stood in the shadows for another two minutes after Hawkeye and Lorne had gone in different directions.

"Did you know Hawkeye was engaged?"

"Sort of," he admitted. "We haven't really had a change to talk about it."

Edward gave him a penetrating look. "She's engaged to you, isn't she? That's the only thing that makes sense."

Roy shrugged. "As she said, it's not something we can talk about."

They returned to the party to find Hawkeye gathering up her presents and her coat. He quickly grabbed his own things. "I'll walk you home, Captain. I still haven't given Hayate his Christmas present."

With was true as far it went, but he also wanted the chance to talk to her alone without half of the occupants of the party trying to eavesdrop on them. He even waited until they were halfway to her apartment, and he was sure they weren't being followed, before bringing up the topic.

"Um, Hawkeye, are we engaged?" Way to go, Roy. Talk about blunt.

She turned and graced him with one of her all too rare, full smiles. "I was wondering if you were going to ask. Yes, I accepted your proposal. Of course technically, we've been engaged for years."

He stopped in his tracks. "What do you mean?"

Riza sighed. "There is a betrothal contract on the books between Roy Mustang and Riza Hawkeye. My father arranged it after my sixteenth birthday. You were his apprentice and I was his daughter, so he apparently had the legal right to make such I contract. I didn't find out until after he'd died. It's buried under so much paperwork that you can't find it unless you know exactly what to look for."

"You've never mentioned this before."

She sighed again. "I didn't want it unless you did as well. I didn't want that decision to be made by anyone except us. No one else has the right to. As far as I'm concerned, we weren't truly engaged until you asked me and I accepted."

They had reached her door by now. She turned the knob, and Black Hayate came tumbling out, eager to greet them. Roy knelt down to scratch the dog's ears and produced a large rawhide bone complete with a large red ribbon from his pocket. "Merry Christmas, Hayate. Be good for your mommy."

He stood up, facing up to the fact that they would have to part ways, at least for now. "Merry Christmas, Riza."

She took a step forward, hands coming up to cup his face, and suddenly he was on the receiving end of one hell of a kiss. Finally, she pulled back. "Merry Christmas, Roy. Thank you for the book."

So now he was walking home as it snowed, not really noticing the cold. The book had been a good idea after all.

* * *

Theme: Pride/High and Mighty


	2. A Book Before Bed

Author's Note: I do not own FMA or its characters. This is slightly AU.

* * *

**A Book Before Bed**

Riza snuggled into the pillows and reached for the book on her nightstand. She could hear the wind howling outside, and more than anything, she wished her husband was home. Stormy nights weren't much fun inside alone. But that was one of the drawbacks of being married to the Fuhrur; there were nights they had to spend apart. A book and a cup of tea weren't much of a substitute for Roy, but they'd do for now.

She smiled as she opened the cover. She'd always been fond of _Pride and Prejudice_, but this copy was very dear to her heart. It was a first edition, but that wasn't why it meant so much to her. Roy had given it to her for Christmas two years ago, back when he'd been a newly promoted Brigadier General. The book itself had been thoughtful, but what had really touched her was the inscription inside the cover. She knew it by heart now, but that didn't stop her from reading it over again.

_Riza,_

_You've always loved this book, so I thought it would be a good choice. Besides, the story of two people who fall in love despite the fact that everyone else thinks it's a crazy idea appeals to me. I got you the first edition because I remember how you used to come and sit in your father's study. You always claimed that there was something about the smell of old books. It's not really an adequate gift for all that you've done for me. I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate you. I really don't know what I'd do with out you; you're like oxygen for me. Hey, who knows? In another few hundred years there may be a famous novel that tells our story. Of course, it probably would be exaggerated, especially the bit about how tall Edward Elric was. And of course, it would depend on whether you wanted to be associated with an idiot like me for the rest of your life. You might not. I really don't know, but you're the only person I could ever see beside me. Anyway, I'm rambling so I'll stop now. Merry Christmas._

_Roy Mustang_

At the time, she'd taken it as a proposal. She'd learned later on that that wasn't exactly what he'd been trying to convey to her, but he'd been happy with the results. It hadn't helped his nerves at all when one of the co-workers had proposed to her earlier that evening. Major Lorne had not taken rejection well. However, things had started moving quickly at that point and within six months Roy had become Fuhrur. They'd been married shortly after that in a small, private ceremony with their friends in attendance.

With a soft sigh, she turned the page and began the book. Which was how Roy found her several hours later, propped up against the pillows with the book resting on her stomach as she sleep. He marked her page with a fond smile and settled her into a slightly more comfortable position for sleeping. There were advantages to having a wife who was seven months pregnant. One of them was no one really complained when he called an end to what was supposed to be an all night meeting, especially when several of the people at the meeting had previously worked with his wife.

After readying himself for bed, Roy turned off the bedside lamp and slipped under the covers, letting one arm rest across her gravid belly. The really had been a good choice for a Christmas present that year.

* * *

Theme: Movies/Books


	3. Following Tradition

Author's Note: I do not own FMA or its characters. This is AU.

* * *

**Following Tradition**

Lt. Colonel Rowan Mustang did her best to hide her impatience. She wanted the office gift exchange to be over with, so she could go home. As it was, she, Chris, and Daffyd would have to catch the late train if they wanted to make it in time. She knew Chris was just as eager to get home as she was. Her brother hadn't seen his fiancée in nearly two months, and he was really looking forward to spending the next two weeks with Trisha. Rowan just wanted to get out of the office for awhile. Things had been so crazy lately; she'd barely had a chance to spend any time with Daffyd that wasn't work related.

She just had to get through the office Secret Santa first. This year had been fairly easy. She'd gotten Chris who had been incredibly easy to shop for. Rowan had gotten him a portrait Ishbel, Daffyd's sister, had done of Trisha in pastels and then framed it. He was just finishing opening it now. There was a tradition of opening the gifts in order of rank, the lowest ranked officer going first. Of course, that invariably had her going last.

With a smile she accepted her gift. It was a rectangle wrapped in sapphire paper with a large silver bow. It was obviously a book. She didn't sigh, though she wanted to. One of the rules was not to reveal who has given the gift, and she could just imagine the type of book some of the guys in her office would have given her.

She opened in carefully, just incase it was something she wouldn't want everyone else seeing. To her surprise, the book was in fact a copy of _Pride and Prejudice_, and a rather old one at that. Rowan opened the cover to check for an inscription. Written on the inside was this:

_Rowan,_

_Will you marry me?_

_Daffyd Almasy_

Her fingers brushed against the bookmark, and she torn her gaze from the words. Tied to the sapphire ribbon was a diamond ring. Most of the staff was rather surprise when their normally stoic commanding officer dropped her present and launched herself at Lt. Almasy, kissing soundly. Her brother, on the other hand, simply smirked. It was about time those two got their acts together.

Later on the train, she asked him the one question that had been bothering her since the proposal.

"How did you know?"

"Know what?"

They were sharing the seat on one side of the train compartment while Chris sprawled across the other fast asleep. Rowan was currently using Daffyd's lap as a pillow.

"Dad proposed to Mom with a copy of that book. Well, he didn't mean to, but she took it that way, and he wasn't going to argue with the results."

Daffyd looked down at her. "I didn't know that. I did run into your dad at the bookstore though. I was having trouble figuring out what book I was going to use, so I told what I had planned and ask what he would recommend. He said you'd always liked _Pride and Prejudice_ but if I couldn't find a copy of that then a copy of _The ABC Murders_ would work."

Ro laughed. "That's just like Dad. Hey, at least we know he likes you. If he didn't, he would have suggested _La Morte de Arthur_ which I absolutely loathe."

They finally arrived at the house around eleven. Chris immediately disappeared over to the Elrics' place next door. Rowan fumbled in her pocket for her house keys when the door opened.

"Get in here before you two freeze," her father ordered.

Dropping her bag in the hallway, she collected a hug from her dad. "You didn't have to wait up for us."

"Your mother and I have been in the habit of late nights for years. As Daffyd is here, I take it you accepted. Do you want hot chocolate or tea?"

Five minutes later, Ro was curled up at Daffyd's feet using his legs as a backrest with a mug of hot chocolate while her parents shared the loveseat across from them. Her father was telling embarrassing childhood stories about her, but she was too content to care. The firelight made her ring sparkle, and while tomorrow would quickly turn into the chaos that came with all events in her family, for now Rowan had the peace, joy, and love the season promised.

* * *

Theme: Some Advice


End file.
